manchou

Manchou is an historical spelling used in older European and English-language texts to refer to the Manchu people or the region of Manchuria. The term derives from the Chinese designation Manzhou (满洲) for the area that lies in what is today Northeast China, and from ethnonyms used by the Manchu people themselves. The Manchu are a Tungusic-speaking ethnic group that originated in Manchuria. In the 17th century they established the Qing dynasty, which ruled China until 1912, shaping much of imperial and early modern Chinese history. The region historically called Manchuria covers areas of present-day northeastern China, including Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces, and has also been referred to in various periods as Manzhou.

In English-language usage, "Manchou" or "Manchu" appeared in early modern maps and texts; "Manchukuo" (often spelled in older sources as "Manchou-kuo") was the Japanese puppet state established in Manchuria in 1932 and existing until 1945. In contemporary usage, "Manchu" for the people and "Manchuria" for the region are standard, while "Manchou" is largely restricted to historical or bibliographic contexts.